Driving down Rte 29 in MD about 30 minutes ago and waved at a Chili Red JCW as I passed doing around 75. They sped up, pulled alongside me and the husband gave me a good wave while the wife signaled an enthusiastic thumbs up.

Now, I wave all the time, but it's been a while since I'd seen a return wave, and, often, it's just a casual acknowledgment or even a confused "what the hell?" kind of response. So, getting this level of enthusiasm back really put a smile on my face and reminded me of another thing that's special about owning a MINI.

To the couple: enjoy the beautiful car, and keep up the spirit! You made my day. (P.S. You'll know it's you, because your license plate is the name of a popular Red Chili pepper.)

To everyone else: Save the Wave! It strengthens the MINI community, which can only be good for all us owners.

 

Thats awesome!

When my Dad bought his PT Cruiser in 2000 all the owners used to wave at each other. Now they are all boring and dont do anything...

 

It used to be like this with the New Beetle as well-- but they are tragically too common these days. I have a very high ratio of waves to returned waves.

I would say that for every 5 MINI drivers I wave at, only one will not wave back.

I have occasionally been the one to not wave back only because I was looking somewhere else and the traffic was moving quickly... it kills me when I miss a chance to wave!

 

MINIs are getting fairly common here. Most don't even notice other MINIs, a few wave.

 

I always wave and get a return, but the mini is not real common here. The other day I waved and got no responce at all. It shocked me for a minute until I realized I was driving our pick up at the time.

Jim

 

Whenever I have a passenger, they receive the in-brief: you must always, under all circumstances, WAVE. My brother is definitely the most enthusiastic waver/navigator/passenger so far, but i'm pretty sure I've got a MINI convert on my hands with him...I took him to MOTD and even let him drive once.

 

I've been waving, but I've only got 3 back so far (out of like 40 MINIs)...is it because I have an extra "C" in the MCS?

 

I've been getting a lot of waves lately myself. Keep it up...I think there are lots of MINI enthusiasts out there. In fact, almost every story I hear about people's friends who are getting MINIs includes the fact that they are pretty much over-the-moon about the car. That bodes well for those who enjoy a little roadway comeraderie now and then.

 

I definitely wave to ALL MINI's. Cooper, Cooper S, Cabrio, Clubman,... I am fence sitting on whether I will wave to ppl who drive the new MINI SUV when it comes out. I totally don't understand why BMW is opening up that market but perhaps I will be eating my words when I start to see them out and about.

I wave to MINI's when I am riding as a passenger in my friend's cars and they think I'm a little nuts. I live in a town of about 130,000 ppl, and there are only 5 MINI's that I know of, mine being one of them.

 

In Huntsville, AL area, many MINI folks wave. I always give them the benefit of the doubt when they don't. We can't always be aware of a fellow enthusiast in time. I've been guilty of failing to notice, before.

In the National Capital Region, most MINI drivers don't wave. That said, when you make an effort to break into their attention zone by pulling up next to them, they seem friendly enough.

I'm an inveterate waiver and won't cease. Better to light a candle...

 

Something about Rt 29. I see a TON of MINIs on that stretch of highway.

And I know what you mean about the "WTF" look some MINI owners give when you wave at them. Don't mind them though... those are the people who bought an economic car and don't even realize they are driving the coolest little car on the planet.

 

I promise to wave enthusiastically every time I see a Mini once I take ownership of mine. *hand on Bible*

 

Drove to the Orlando this past weekend and saw a bunch of other MINI's with no waves to speak of. I did get a few compliments at gas stations along the way along with some return waves from one of my former obsessions classic beetles.

 

Of course there's no hard and fast rule about waving, but I look at it as a nothing-ventured-nothing-gained thing. Yeah, some folks don't wave, but every so often you do and that makes it all worth it, imo.

 

gokartride,
You're closing in on 39k posts. Are you retired and carry a BB everywhere?? You have to be the top poster on this site. That's over two posts a day every day for about 6.3 years!
R

 

I have been so over the wave thing, as most of my waves lately haven't been returned. I keep seeing the same OxyBlue/Black Cooper with the same driver, who will not acknowledge my presence on the road, no matter what I do! (Ok, so flashing the lights and waving 3 times within a mile might be a little much)...

I almost gave up completely when yesterday, in the rain, I saw an OxyBlue/White (with checkered mirrors), so I waved, and the girl nearly fell out of the car trying to wave back! She had this look on her face like she's never seen another MINI on the road, let alone an OxyBlue! THAT wave saved it for me, and put my faith back in the wave.

 

I agree, Atomic17. There are a fair amount of MINI's where I live and I never miss a chance to wave at one. But so often I get either a blank stare or the classic WTF??!?!? look. Then, when I'm about to give up, someone enthusiastically waves back and my faith is restored. Don't give up the wave!!

 

I know...I don't watch much TV, what can I say??

I am since I passed up a friend who isn't around much these days. If she ever does come back she'll blow right past me in a matter of hours!!!!!!

 

Yeah, i sure miss MINIClo.

 

I gave a wave to a BRG Cooper convertible with two middle-aged gals and a little girl in it in DC last weekend, got enthusiastic waves back. Or were we in Cape May or Rehoboth? It was a long weekend

 

The best for me was last saturday. I was in Manassas/Catharpin (northern VA) area on sudly road.

2 lane road and a Vert MINI going in the opposite direction came around the corner. As soon as the folks in the vert saw me, all 4 people put their hands up in the air like they were on a roller coaster and going down the first hill. I put my window down and waved back at them.

Funniest thing i've seen!

 

The wave here is SoCal depends on conditions. A lot of MINIs are being sold here, so there's been a rise in the number of "non-wavers" because they simply are paying attention to other things, like merging in traffic, their cell phones , etc. Still, there are plenty of waves to be had and I'll go out of my way to do it, but even I've missed a few.

 

Hey, I'm one of those Rt. 29 in MD Mini's and if I see you I'll definitely wave. See you around Silver Spring

 

Hey rrcaniglia, I just bought my first mini (2007 MCS Chili Red/Black) last week and live in Florence, AL. I come to Huntsville faily often and although I have not crossed a MINI yet while driving, I will definately wave if we pass!

Kevin

 

Look forward to the exchange, ke4sfq. (Is that a ham radio callsign?)

Redstone Aresenal has at least half a dozen MINIs, two of them CPR. Beautiful color.